5 Super Tips For Succeeding In Business!

Over the past year, I’ve written a good number of business advice articles for Manila Bulletin and each of those articles were and still are meant to help as many people as possible. These articles are from my experience and discoveries through a lot of trial and error in “business making”, and to be honest, all of those articles contain a secret or two of mine on being successful in business, so in this particular piece, I’d like to summarize some of the more valuable lessons and what has made me who I am over the years. I do hope that you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Keep things simple

If there is one truth about what works in this world is that the simplest of solutions are all you really need. A lot of times, I find myself looking at an opportunity and immediately start thinking of all sorts of “creative” ways of making money with it. Most of the time, it becomes an exercise in creativity rather than making a decent profit. In my article entitled, “Do Not Overcomplicate Your Business” I talk about this incident where a student from an Ivy League school was over complicating what should be a very simple and straightforward business — printing and selling of t-shirts. (Go to my blog at www.markso.wordpress.com and search the title if you have not yet read it) I mean, come on, how complicated can that be right? Well, as the story turns out, you’d be amazed at how our train of thought can be so devoid of common sense.

Find the customer first

When I first heard this line from a successful entrepreneur (a close and dear friend) a long time ago, I was blown away at the simplicity of the logic. This is really not a secret in business making, just find and talk to a successful businessperson, they will instantly validate it, and many a times, that is most probably how they started in business in the first place. So to explain further, I used to think like the throngs of would-be entrepreneurs when it came to starting a business, find capital, put up the business, then make money. The problem with that logic is that in order to be in business, you needed capital first and in many, many cases that was the whole problem, the reason why you want to start a business in the first place was because you did not have money to begin with, so I experimented with that line “Find the customer first”, tried this and tried that until finally I figured it out. I discuss this a little bit more in my article: “How to Make Extra Money with Zero Capital” (again go to my blog and search for it if you have not read it yet).

Learn how to sell

Business in its purest form is selling. So naturally, if you want to be in business, you need to learn how to sell. Now the problem with this for a lot of people is that the mere mention of the word “sell” sends shivers up and down their spines, “can’t do it”, “don’t want to”, “I don’t think I can” would probably be the three phrases that just popped in your head right now. But the truth is, anyone, given the right motivation can sell, in fact, the people who you think can’t sell are actually the ones who can outsell even the most gifted of sales men. In my article series “The Tale of Two Salesmen Parts 1, 2, and 3” I unravel the mysteries and debunk the myth that sales and selling are only for a select few. When you get to read those articles on my blog, you will soon realize that sales is not a position, it’s a way of life.

Manage your money

Now, the thing about selling is that if you do it very well, money comes in. And I used to think that the more money coming in, the richer I will be. Well, it is true, but unfortunately that’s only half right. What I experienced was that, the more money that I made, the lesser there was of it remaining because I spent most of it on useless stuff. It took my wife and a huge knock on the head for me to realize that no matter how much money you made, what mattered more was what you did with it. In other words, how you spend is much more important than what you make. This is another key to my business success. In my article series “Money Management Simplified Parts 1, 2, and 3” I discuss step by step how you can spend properly and of course manage your money. So if you haven’t done so yet, go to my blog now and search those articles.

Keep investing in yourself

I said this once, and I’ll say it a thousand times more. The real secret to becoming a success is to never be content to just stay where you are. You are a product of evolution, when times change, so must you, when times get tougher, so must you. In this world we live in, it is the strong that survive, and so the most basic and yet most potent advice I could ever give you my dear reader is to never stop investing in improving your self, expanding your knowledge, practicing until you understand, making mistakes and boo boos along the way are all the things that you need to do constantly to keep on growing and succeeding.

In the end, I hope that my business advices through my articles and my blog have helped you in some way, hope or form. If it has, do leave a comment on my blog on any or all of the articles that you read there. Good luck and God bless!

Author box:

Mark So is a fervent businessman, forex trader, marketer, sales consultant, and educator. He is the Chairman and CEO of Businessmaker Academy—a business, finance and corporate training center. He is also the Chief Forex Trainer of Forex Club Manila. Mr. So is slated to conduct his 7 Point Formula for Business Start Up and Expansion this November 13, 2010. If you are interested in attending this seminar, email Mark directly at markso@zerocapitalclub.com. To read more of Mark’s interesting and life enriching articles you can go to his blog at http://www.markso.wordpress.com

Share this:

20 Comments

Very true Sir Mark. Your business advice had truly been an inspiration to me as I move towards my career as an entrepreneur. I really value the last part that “we should keep investing in ourselves” because that is really one of the secrets in breakthrough entrepreneurship. I also would like to add that it is equally important to have mentors and to surround yourself with like minded people. May you continue to inspire more aspiring entrepreneurs. More powers and GOD bless.

Nice to hear from you Justin. I do keep tabs on your exploits as well on Face book and you are indeed continuously investing in yourself and surrounding yourself with very good mentors.
But I think you have it the other way around– It is the mentors who get inspired from people like you who embrace teachings and continue to strive at such a young age. Keep it up.

I just would like to ask. For someone, starting in sales or has been there but is like in a car that goes forward and backward but never goes full speed, how do you make a sale? Do you go plenty of customers and let some sales pop up? Or you go few possible clients but making slowly and surely taking care of them until you reach a higher positive result? Just wanted to know because based on my personal experience I tried sometimes to market or to sell but there are still no customers to buy? Until the time that I give up..What makes them buy? And what makes a good salesperson. Honestly, sometimes sales gives me still the jitters. But I feel the need to go ahead, otherwise I wouldn’t have something to feed to my family. Or have something for my needs. Talking outside of sales, what do you think is the secret to making money? My formula has always been to apply for a job, an accounting job. But I had it unsuccessfully. So I resort to all other means, taking stock of my talents and finding out where I could make something. But it’s still a stretch and a struggle. But I am happy with all the learnings I have got.

Hi Rommela, thanks for writing in. First off, remember that attitude and commitment are the two main ingredients you need to succeed in anything. So if you really want to pursue sales you must go all the way and never get into it half baked. Now with regards to plenty customers (leads) versus a small number of customers it must be a combination of both. You must continue to increase those who buy but you must also concentrate on the few who actually keep buying. If this sounds strange to you, I suggest that you read my articles dedicated to tackling those topics.

“You must continue to increase those who buy but you must also concentrate on the few who actually keep buying. ”

It is very much in accord with the 80/20 principle. We must concentrate majority of our effort into the 20% of anything (i.e. products/customers etc) that give back 80% of the returns. It also keeps life simple by focusing on the few things that really matter. It clears up all the clutter.

Reading your article on 5 super tips on business releases a very exhilarating feeling. It feels me great to know that there are gifted people like you and yet very generous to share the talents to others. By the way I have attended 2 sessions of yours, the forex orientation and the forex fortune. And on I am now a member your of forexclubmanila.com

I just want to ask if you have any article that talks about how to introduce/offer your services to your target customer via phone call or the like. As an offset printing salesperson i want to boost my knowledge about this.

Hi Kristopher, I do not have an article about that as I conduct a whole course on it. Please call us at 6874445 / 6873416 / 6874645 and ask to enroll in my Proactive Sales and Marketing course. Enrollment fees and procedures will also be discussed with you then. Best!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Excerpts from Our Life Changing Articles

My wife and I used to live in a condo unit when we were newly married. At first, the condo was pretty spacious and needed some furniture so we got a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, then gifts would come from friends and family onHow to Build Businesses using the Power of Accumulation!

[caption id="attachment_89" align="aligncenter" width="307" caption="Click Here To Download the File!"][/caption]
One of the top questions that I get from people is “What’s a good business to get into?” If you’ve asked this question yourself then you are in luck because in this article I will not only teach you how to100+ Business Ideas to Explore & How to Choose the right one for You!

So today, I wanted to share another important lesson in entrepreneurship. It is a lesson rooted deeply in our Filipino culture valuing hard work above everything else, which I believe is correct, but incomplete.
I say this because I once thought that working hard, sacrificing and putting in the effort wasIn Business, is it better to be Juan Masipag or Juan Tamad?

Last March 23, 2010 I spoke at the Manila Bulletin Job Fair at the Glorieta Activity Center in Makati and in that talk I mentioned how job seekers can stretch their cash while searching for a job. I had a great time that day and I hope that my simpleMoney Management Simplified (Part 1)

First off, I’d like to thank all of those who visited and commented on my blog for Part 1. For those of you who have not yet read it please click here
[caption id="attachment_263" align="alignleft" width="245" caption="The Yin and The Yang Salesman"][/caption]
From the comments, it was apparent that everyone has aThe Tale of Two Salesmen (Part 2)

Imagine You Are With Your Friends…
…In a restaurant and the waiter comes with the bill, looks over the table and out of all of your 6 friends, picks you to give the bill to. And it doesn’t matter which set of friends you are with, waiters always look at you…WellBeing A Leader

"How To Make A Career With What You Are Great At!"
In my previous article, I mentioned that finding out what you are great at requires "experimentation". In this article, I will teach you how to move forward with whatever it is you are great at so that it leads toHow to make money run after you (Part 16)

Aside from building businesses, another passion of mine is investing in assets. Both of them are a means to make more money if you know what you are doing, but how money is made between the two are very different.
I’m going to simplify the difference for both of them forThe Difference between Businesses and Investments

Money Leeches in the Family?
If you have not yet read Part 2 of this article, please click here to read it now
In the last article, I talked about being aware and effectively stopping your Money Leeches! Should a Money Leech appear who is NOT Immediate family, I recommend that youHow To Make Money Run After You (Part 3)

As early as I could remember, I knew that making money was already hard coded into my DNA. Allow me to share a few vivid childhood memories with you then afterwards, give you the most important advice that I will ever give.
Let me first bring you back to 1977. MyThe Most Important Advice about Money I Can Ever Give You

Hi Sir Mark,
I'm glad that there are generous people like you sharing precious knowledge which probably others would keep for themselves. I need this and I'm so happy I read your article. Thanks and I'm looking forward in seeing you again. more power to you and your family. God Bless!
Davidtestimonials

Ever hear the phrase “From Good to Great?”
The context of the phrase of course is to be better than just good. To be greater than just okay. While that is of course what I believe and strive for in this life as an achiever, I wanted to also take a"Goodness Is Better Than Greatness!"

Hi All!
I decided to start this blog to share my business and investing experiences for those who want to help themselves.
So for those reading this post right now, welcome!
Let me first start by saying that I did not take up commerce, business school or any formal financial training, my experienceBusinessmaker Academy, Inc.

"How To Get A Thicker Skin!"
In my previous article, I talked about needing a thick skin to generate wealth. In this article, I will share another story of my life and teach you how to have a thicker skin in the process.
I was a painfully quiet person growing up.
When IHow to make money run after you (Part 18)

Money can get really tight when you are looking for a job and sometimes, even when you already have a job! But the good news is, you can start your own business and create extra income almost immediately with ZERO CAPITAL whether you are currently employed or not. So, areHOW TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY WITH ZERO CAPITAL

[caption id="attachment_140" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Click Here To Sign Up For Free!"][/caption]
In my article last week, I explained that the US Dollar fluctuates because of the mixture of buyers of US Dollars, sellers of US Dollars, Production of US Dollars, and the Allure of US Dollars.
Now if you are an individualHow the Dollar Affects Your Investments and What to do about it (Part 2 of 2)

So in this concluding article I will explain that being a great sales person is NOT just about developing a skill or transforming yourself from Yin to Yang or Yang to Yin. Instead, evolving as a salesperson is simpler than you think.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Money Money Money"][/caption]
In my SalesThe Tale of Two Salesmen (Part 3 - Conclusion)

In Part 1 and 2, I explained how to simplify managing your money. If you have not read them yet, please Click Here to read up on what you’ve missed.
In this article, I will finally explain how to increase your “take home” per month without adding any additional bad expensesMoney Management Simplified (Part 3)

Today, I want to start coaching you again on becoming a greater success in whatever you do. I will share with you a simple but powerful truth: “If you want to increase your success, you must:
1.) Know what you really want in life
2.) Have the will and desire to goTo Increase Your Success You Must Have 3 Things

During countless business seminars that I’ve conducted since 2003, one of the most common concerns of people in starting a business is about the risks involved and the fear of failing. A very valid concern indeed, one which to the inexperienced is incredibly intimidating and very limiting to a person’sHOW TO BEAT FAILURE IN BUSINESS

In the previous article, I explained how to simplify your finances by just completing a few simple exercises on a piece of paper and I explained the three scenarios that you are probably in right now. So let’s continue our discussion right now. If you are currently in Scenario 1,Money Management Simplified (Part 2)

Preparing for "Essential Conversations" On Money
In part 5 of this article series, I talked about the first step in making your marriage a wealth magnet. Of course if you are not yet married, and planning to, Jhoanna and I wish you the same kind of happiness that we have whenHow To Make Money Run After You (Part 6)

"I Know What I Am Great At, Now What?"
In my previous article, I asked you to answer the question "What are you great at?" If you haven't read that article yet, please sign up for the Wealth-plan on the right so I can email you that and the previous articlesHow To Make Money Run After You (Part 15)

"Let's Summarize What We've Learned in 9 months"
If you want to make money run after you, please sign up for the Wealth-plan so I can email you my previous articles from the very start.
In this article, I will summarize all the things I've talked about until this point so youHow to make money run after you (Part 19)

“How To Remove Credit Card Debt Fast”
Do you have what seems to be unmanageable credit card debt? Are you already swearing to cut it up as soon as you pay it off and never use another credit card in your life ever again?
Well, if you are suffering from Credit CardHow to make money run after you (Part 7)

The thought that it takes money to make money is simply ingrained into society when it comes to businesses.
I was interviewed a few months ago for a TV show hosted by Arch Bishop Chito Tagle on ABC 5 and the theme of the show was "Entrepreneurship for nation building inFind The Customer First

A long time ago, I used to think that the true way to success is to outwit and outmaneuver competition. Truth be told, I am a very competitive person by nature and I hate losing to competition. And I’m sure that a part of you feels the same way deepBusinesspeople are Merchants, Not Warriors!

10000

Praise for Mark and Jhoanna’s Articles

"Hi sir Mark,
Thank you for this article, I am an account executive in a printing company and hoping that someday I'll be having my own printing co. too. With your advise I'm sure that It will be possible for me to reach that goal.

MABUHAY ka sir Mark!"

-Kristopher Mike

"Hi Mark - Nice article. Let's get this kind of wisdom an d information out to more people. Looking forward to working with you."

-Ardy RobertoSalt and Light

"Hi Mark,

I love this article. Indeed, very true.

Most people live lives that are suggested (or more likely dictated) to them by other people and end up as victims. I believe that we can choose our own destiny and you nailed it with the power of suggestion.

Thanks again!"

-Bryan Uy

"Hello.. My girl friend told me about your blog page. I'm a struggling business man full of ideas & passion.. :) I just don't know where (more of how) to start. But thanks to your tips, I think I'll get to that point. Thanks again!"

-Jerem De Leon

"Nice blog Mark. You really inspired me with this article of yours. I guess I really need to save and manage my financials in order to be successful. It's hard, but I'm going to try it.

Thank you for your wonderful advice."

-Brian Bergantiños

"Upon reading your article, I immediately cut it out and the following day made some copies and shared it to other managers in the company.

More Praise Still for Mark and Jhoanna’s Articles

"Hi sir Mark, What a powerful mind blowing technique in eradicating "Money Leeches" even if it seems heartless, the truth of the matter is you have to do it or either you will remain in the same financial state...More power...from Cartagena,Colombia."

-Jovanie Vargas

"People should be forced to perform these exercises before they start their own business. Many failures would be avoided!"

-David Moulton

"Hi Sir Mark,
I'm glad that there are generous people like you sharing precious knowledge which probably others would keep for themselves. I need this and I'm so happy I read your article. Thanks and I'm looking forward in seeing you again. more power to you and your family. God Bless!"